ARM's new tech promises 60% more juice for wearables

Thanks to a dual acquisition

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ARM wants to help Internet of Things (IoT) devices last even longer using new Bluetooth technology that it claims delivers 60% more battery life.

To make the new technology become a reality it has acquired two companies, Sunrise Micro Devices and Wicentric, that will form the crux of its new Cordio brand focused on developing low-power radio IP technology for battery-sapping devices such as wearables.

The Cordio brand name comes from Sunrise Micro Devices' line of low-power Cordio wireless products that includes a range of Bluetooth 4.0 CMOS radios. Wicentric, on the other hand, will provide a Bluetooth Smart software stack for the "sub-volt" radios being produced.

ARM serious about IoT

Companies that choose to use ARM's low-power radio IP technology can expect battery life to increase to a level that means devices can last up to 60% longer between charges. It can offer this thanks to the "sub-volt" operation that allows it to work below 1V and gently "sip" energy from the battery.

ARM has been taking the IoT very seriously over the past six months after it announced a new device platform and free OS back in October that is built around open standards and brings security, protocols and standards together into one integrated platform. It backed that up with the purchase of Offspark to bolster its IoT security offering and overall its an area that ARM looks set to be a big part of in the coming years.